Watch My Back
by SE Uchiha
Summary: [SasuSaku] What happens when Sakura steps between her two teamates in battle and Kakashi isn't there to stop them?


A/N: I was watching the Naruto episode where Sasuke and Naruto fight on top of the hospital and Sakura had tried to stop them, and when Kakashi stepped in it got me thinking. So I decided to write a fic on what I thought could happen if she tried to stop them once more and Kakashi wasn't there. Sorry I haven't finished Shine Your Light yet, but I will get it up by the end of this week. Hope you enjoy my first tragedy. Made me cry when I wrote it: (

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto even though I wish I did.

"talking"

_'thoughts"_

**_'inner Sakura/Sasuke'_**

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**Watch My Back **

By: _SE Uchiha_

The sounds of their battle echoed through the dark forest. Small explosions shook the ground and birds fled from their nests. Another flash of light blinded the pink-haired kunoichi momentarily and the blast that followed nearly knocked her backwards.

**_'Hurry up! They could have killed each other by now!' _**Shouted the ever-present voice in the back of her mind.

_'Damnit! I know! SHUT UP'! _She yelled back, and for once her inner was silent. Sakura regained her composure as she ran. _'I have to put a stop to this! I **WON'T** let them do something that they'll regret_. With renewed vigor she pushed more chakra into her leg muscles and pushed herself to run faster. The sight she was greeted with when she broke into the clearing nearly stopped her heart.

Naruto groaned as Sasuke smashed him face first into a tree. The Uchiha leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "I'm disappointed in you, Dobe. I thought you might present some sort challenge, but you're still weak. Looks like the Hokage title just keeps getting further and further away." He smirked as the blonde's body stiffened in anger. He tightened his grip in Naruto mass of hair and slammed his head into the wood again.

With a small 'pop' Naruto's body disappeared. "Kuso!" Sasuke cursed at his stupidity, there was no way that the Naruto he knew would have sat there and taken his verbal abuse. He whipped around to search for his rival and found him instantly. The sneer on his face grew when he recognized the small orb of chakra growing in his opponent's hand. Sasuke quickly form the appropriate hand seals and focused all his chakra into his right palm. Naruto chuckled and fed some of the Kyubi's chakra into the swirling sphere. Sasuke, not wanting to be out done, activated the second level of his curse seal and charged. Naruto did the same and ran forward to meet his ex-friends attack. The trademark chirping of thousands of birds filled the air as did the blood-chilling howl of the wind.

Sakura felt the tears fall from her eyes as she raced forward, her mouth open in a silent scream. Her eyes squeezed shut as she sprinted into the paths of the battling shinobi. **_'Please, stop this.'_** Her inner whimpered as if the two men could hear her. Suddenly all was quiet. The birds ceased to sing and the wind came to a stand still. Both men stared in awe at the women before them.

Sakura held back her screams and whimpers of pain and pushed the feeling away. She ignored her agony and look up at the astonished faces of the boys she had come to care for. Blue eyes brimmed with tears stared down at her. She smiled widely and the tears Naruto had been holding back overflowed and poured down his cheeks. Sakura twisted her head around and locked eyes with the one she cared for most. The look in his eyes floored her. She could clearly see the pain and hurt in his onyx orbs. Her grin grew and her eyes slid shut, only to flutter open seconds later, the angelic smile gone from her face.

Sasuke stared down at the girl in front of him. She had been so weak before; a simple cut on her knee had caused tears of pain to fill her eyes. Now here she was with two holes ripped in her chest, and not once had she flinched. **_'See…this is what you threw away when you left Konoha'._** Spoke the voice inside his head. **_'This woman could have been the future matriarch to the new Uchiha clan, but you had to ruin it just so you to kill Itachi.' _**For the first time in his life Sasuke felt regret for his actions. For the first time in ten years tears fell from his eyes. He looked up at Naruto and nodded. Slowly they removed their hands from her flesh.

A scream tore from Sakura's throat as she collapsed backwards into the chest of the last true Uchiha. Sasuke lowered himself to the ground with her and pulled her limp body into his lap. She smiled again as crimson fluid leaked from the corners of her mouth. Sakura opened her mouth to speak but she choked on the blood that had collected in her shredded lungs. She turned her head to the side and coughed out as much of it as she could. When she turned her head back she locked gazes with Naruto and Sasuke.

"I did it." She gasped out. The boy's eyes widened. A shaky 'What?' left her teammate's lips. She grinned innocently up at them and sighed in relief, "I'm not watching your backs move away from me anymore. I'm no longer perpetually stuck in your shadows. I am finally going to do something that neither of you has ever done."

Naruto's face screwed up in sadness. "Don't think like that Sakura! You're not gonna' die, you hear me. YOU'RE NOT GONNA DIE!"

Sakura tried to laugh but all that came out was the gurgle of the fluid in her lungs. She hacked up the blood onto the ground and resumed speaking. "Don't give up on becoming Hokage, Naruto. Tsunade told me that she plans to resign next year and that you're to be her replacement." Droplets of water streamed once more from his cerulean eyes. "Take care of Hinata for me. She loves you and I'm pretty sure you like her too."

She turned her attention to Sasuke. "Be careful Sasuke-kun, and don't let Itachi get to you. He only wants you to kill him so he can pay for his sins. Good luck with rebuilding your clan though. Whomever you choose shall be one lucky woman." She spoke in between labored breaths.

Sasuke smiled. "Yes, you're one lucky woman." He spoke softly. Sakura's eye's widened and then she smiled. "Arigato, Sasuke-kun. Aishiteru." She whispered. Sasuke looked down on her as he cradled her head in his arms.

"Aishiteru…Sakura-chan." And then, he smiled. It was not a wide obnoxious grin, like Naruto's, but a soft, sad smile. He leaned down and captured her lips with his own. He felt her respond weakly and then her body went limp. Sasuke, however, didn't pull his lips from hers until they grew cold. Tears dripped from his obsidian orbs onto her pale cheeks. He smiled up at the sky, somehow knowing that she was there watching over him.

'Aishiteru, Sakura.' He thought as he stared up at the clouds. Her soft voice echoed in his thoughts. "I love you too, Sasuke. Now and forever." And with a light breeze she was gone, but not permanently; only until he met her once more with his hand outstretched at the gates of Heaven.

FINI

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A/N: Well there ya go. Hope you likey. PLEASE REVIEW! Your comments, good or bad, keep me writing. All you have to do is click the purple button and type a couple words, so please review. That's all.

Up Next: **Shine Your Light**

_SE Uchiha_


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